With a hey-nonnie-nonnie and a telemark-too, George Sweet and his Snowshoers' orchestra — who look suspiciously like the Huckleberry Pickers in disguise — broke the ice at the Lenox Town Hall Saturday night at the dance sponsored by the Berkshire Hills Conference. Taking his cue as a winter as well as a summer attraction, as has Greylock and Thunderbolt, George had the Town Hall tastefully decorated with skis crossed, interlaced with poles. But, though he may be on skis this season, he's not slipping. Not by a slalom sight!
His mail order loud speaker system developed some female tendencies during the program, going into reverse and talking back at him. Turning the speaker units to the wall cured this. Later, however, the wire-suspended "mike" broke into a jaunty, side-swing in the midst of an announcement, but not fazed, George swayed with it, not skipping a syllable. This, he admitted, gave him some new slants on broadcasting.
Lenox — and Pittsfield — "sassiety" checked its inhibitions at the door and stomped into the spirit of the "squares" with a vim that would have shaken snow from the roof had there been any. The only complexes were in the old-time dance routines. Of a truth, drifts may come and ski jumps go, but the Virginia Reel goes on forever. The grand march literally all but did just that!
Led by John Ericson and Helen Kline, this high water, or ice mark of the Snowshoers' dance was planned to display clearly the natural advantages of the contestants for the title of Berkshire County's most healthy girl. Due to myopia, or downright curiosity of the judges, the parade circled and recircled until it looked as though George would have the winner chosen by pure endurance. At one point it was suggested a ski tow should be assembled to drag the fair ones to the finish line. But in the end, health prevailed, and first prize went to the beautiful and obviously healthy June Crosby of Lenox. Honorable mentions went to the less healthy, theoretically, Lucy Wordsworth of Housatonic and Mrs. Maureen O'Laughlin of Pittsfield. It is not anticipated the losers will demand a recount by Dr. Morris Fishbein of the American Medical Association as was rumored.
The baffled but none the less intrigued judges were Miss Virginia Rhodes, Mrs. Nyla Foulds and Lawrence K. Miller, chairman of the Berkshire Hills Conference.